The Atlanta Braves are adding to their world-class starting rotation once again, making a big move to acquire left-hander Chris Sale from the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Sale reportedly waived his no-trade clause to join an Atlanta team that expects to contend for another World Series title in 2024. The Braves are sending 22-year-old Vaughn Grissom back to Boston after a logjam in the infield led the team to shop their young bat this offseason.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been the most aggressive team in the National League this offseason, landing both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Now the Braves have struck back in the race for the pennant by adding a seven-time All-Star.
So who won the deal? Let’s get into it.
The Details
Per Jeff Passan:
Red Sox get: INF Vaughn Grissom
Braves get: LHP Chris Sale, Cash
BREAKING: The Atlanta Braves are acquiring seven-time All-Star Chris Sale in a trade with the Boston Red Sox, sources tell ESPN. Well-regarded infield prospect Vaughn Grissom is the return to Boston, which will send money with Sale, who waived his no-trade clause to join Atlanta
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 30, 2023
Atlanta Braves
After watching the Dodgers bolster their rotation to start the offseason, the Braves are playing catch-up.
According to Passan, Atlanta previously tried to use Grissom to pry Dylan Cease away from the Chicago White Sox but couldn’t reach an agreement. Instead it lands with former White Sox ace Sale, who may not be as effective at age 34 as when he was leading the league in strikeouts, but pairs exceptionally well in a rotation with Spencer Strider, Max Fried and Charlie Morton.
After a few injury-plagued seasons in Boston that limited Sale to 48.1 innings pitched in 2021 and 2022 combined, the starter bounced back with 102.2 innings (20 starts) last season, producing a 4.30 ERA, 1.130 WHIP and 125 strikeouts.
Given Atlanta was already loaded in the infield with Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia up the middle, moving a top prospect Grissom felt like an inevitability.
With Sale now in the rotation, Atlanta is able to keep pace with the Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and other contender in the National League as it works to get back to the World Series.
Grade: A
Boston Red Sox
Not even 24 hours after the Red Sox made their first big splash of the offseason by adding Lucas Giolito to their rotation on a two year, $38.5 million contract, Boston sent its most established arm to a contender.
Safe to say this is not the type of move Red Sox fans wanted to see this offseason, but it’s one that may pay dividends well into the future.
No one should be under any assumption that Boston couldn’t afford the remaining $27.5 million on Sale’s contract this year — or the $20 million club option in 2025 — but dumping Sale shouldn’t be a surprise. Especially after the Red Sox traded Alex Verdugo to the Yankees earlier this offseason.
New Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow has his work cut out for him in Boston following Chaim Bloom’s tenure and getting talented, cost-controlled prospects like Grissom is only going to make life easier in the coming years.
Grissom has appeared in just 64 Major League games, slashing .287/.339/.440 with five home runs and 21 RBI on 49 strikeouts. He is far from a finished product and some patience will be needed at the plate and on defense.
But acquiring Grissom is a solid step that will ultimately require more maneuvering by Breslow before anyone can call this move a winner.
In the interim, Boston traded away what was likely a final year of Sale’s service for three pre-arbitration years from a strong prospect at a needed position. If the Red Sox aren’t willing to spend their way back into contending, pieces like Grissom at least provide some hope — albeit much further down the line.
Grade: B-
